American Cocker Spaniel Health Problems and Raising an American Cocker Spaniel Puppy to be Healthy

How To Raise a Healthy Dog
Feeding the Best Dog Foods
Vaccinations: Needed or Not?
Spaying and Neutering: Pros and Cons

The most common health problems in American Cocker Spaniels:

Unfortunately, this lovely little breed is so fraught with health problems that it is very, very difficult to keep one healthy healthy for a normal lifetime.

Let's start with eyes. Severe cataracts can appear at 1-5 years old and often progress to complete blindness. Progressive retinal atrophy (PRA) can appear at 3-6 years old and glaucoma at 5-8 years old – both leading to blindness. Other eye diseases in Cockers include corneal dystrophy, cherry eye, dry eye, eyelid abnormalities (entropion and ectropion), eyelash abnormalities, tear duct disorders, persistent pupillary membranes, and retinal dysplasia.

Moving on to the skin, American Cockers are notorious for itchy skin conditions such as allergies, pyoderma, and seborrhea. Growths on the skin are common – both non-tumorous growths (especially sebaceous cysts) and tumorous growths (especially sebaceous tumors, basal cell tumors, and breast tumors). A few black Cockers have been reported with the skin disease follicular dysplasia.

Ear infections occur in American Cockers more frequently than in any other breed. This is because the abnormally long, narrow ear canal of this breed traps wax, providing a sticky medium in which fungi can grow and parasites can feed. The folded-over ear flap blocks air from circulating and provides a dark, moist, dirty cave for fungi and parasites to hide. And all the hair inside the ears acts as a magnet for moisture, dirt, and wax. Ear hematoma is also common in Cockers.

The most common orthopedic disease in Cocker Spaniels is luxating patella (loose knees). The Orthopedic Foundation of America found that 25% of American Cockers are affected with loose knees. That's 1 in every four Cockers – the 3rd highest rate of all breeds. Hip dysplasia occurs in Cockers, as well, with the OFA evaluating the hip X-rays of 9800 American Cockers and finding 6% dysplastic. Another orthopedic disease occurring regularly in the breed is interverterbral disk disease.

According to the Michigan State University Thyroid Database, American Cocker Spaniels have the 13th highest rate of hypothyroidism of 140 breeds (up to 23% affected).

Epilepsy occurs regularly and heart disease (patent ductus arteriosus and pulmonic stenosis) is becoming a concern.

American Cockers are susceptible to blood-clotting diseases (von Willebrand's disease, Factor X deficiency, and thrombocytopenia).

Other health issues in the breed include liver disease (hepatitis) and autoimmune hemolytic anemia. Occasionally reported have been lysosomal storage disease, cerebellar ataxia, PFK deficiency, and chondrodysplasia.

Can you prevent health problems from happening to YOUR American Cocker Spaniel?

Yes, often you can.

1. Some health problems are genetic, which means inherited from parents. Genetic health issues are common in American Cocker Spaniels today because of unwise breeding practices. My book, Dog Quest: Find The Dog Of Your Dreams, shows you how to find an American Cocker Spaniel puppy who is genetically healthy.
2. Other health problems are environmental – caused by the way you raise your dog. My best-selling dog health book, 11 Things You Must Do Right To Keep Your Dog Healthy and Happy shows you how to prevent environmental health problems by raising your Cocker Spaniel puppy (or adult dog) in all the right ways.

Here are my dog health tips for raising a healthy American Cocker Spaniel puppy or adult dog:

How To Raise a Healthy Dog – My Philosophies
Read my advice on sensible feeding and health care so that your Cocker Spaniel lives a long, healthy life and seldom needs to see the vet. An excellent goal, yes?

The Best Dog Food For Feeding Your American Cocker Spaniel
The best diet for feeding your Cocker Spaniel is real food. Real chicken, turkey, beef, bison, venison, fish....This is not "people food" and I'll tell you why.

The Second-Best Dog Food For Your Cocker Spaniel
If you can't (or won't) feed what your American Cocker Spaniel really needs, the best I can do is to point out what to look for – and look out for – when choosing a brand of kibble or canned dog food.

Vaccinations and Booster Shots: Needed or Not?
How many vaccinations does your American Cocker Spaniel puppy really need? Does your adult Cocker Spaniel need yearly booster shots? The vaccination guidelines have changed. Find out what many vets aren't telling you.

The Type of Veterinarian I Recommend
Does your veterinarian belong to the AVMA or the AHVMA? They're not the same at all, and which one you choose can make a world of difference to the future health of your American Cocker Spaniel.

Spaying and Neutering: Pros and Cons
Advantages and disadvantages of spaying your female Cocker Spaniel or neutering your male.

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